14 DAY TRIAL // There will soon be a new monitor running around retail stores, one that Philips created and gave an IPS (In-Plane Switching) panel, plus a very thin form factor.
Philips claims that the 239C4QHSB, better known as the Blade 2 monitor, is one of the slimmest desktop monitors on the planet, or will be once sales start.
The product measures 12.5 mm in thickness (0.49 inches) and should manage to land in stores before this month is out (March, 2012).
That said, the newcomer has a diagonal of 24 inches and the IPS display allows for vivid, lifelike images even from obscure angles.
What's more, the SmartContrast ratio is of 20,000,000:1, which means that very bright or very dim scenes will be much clearer than on other monitors or HDTVs.
Furthermore, Philips tossed in LED backlighting, which boosts image quality while consuming less energy than conventional Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamps (CCFL), not that many companies still use such things.
"The Philips Blade 2 demonstrates the company's ability to deliver versatile monitors that combines cutting-edge design with excellent performance," said Mayank Christian, director of global product management, MMD.
"The enhancements of the Philips Blade 2 over the original Blade monitor also showcase our desire to push boundaries and develop better products for consumers."
The Philips Blade 2 possesses a VGA input (analog), as well as two HDMI connectors.
In other words, it is “fully compatible with the latest work and entertainment devices on the market” and makes it easy to link more than one PC or multimedia device to the same display.
All in all, this is the sort of panel that buyers may want to consider for work and film watching, rather than gaming, though it will perform well even there. The price will be of $228.26, which is the same as 175 Euro, give or take, according to current exchange rates.